Drainage ststeic



2, l P. DE CHAMBRER OIL MINING AND DRAINAGE SYSTEM Filed Oct. 19. 1921 vwentoz M Patented Sept. 2, 1924.

UNITEDl STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL DI Cmm, 0l' BEVAIX, SWITZERLAND.

IL MINING LND DRAINAGE SYSTEI.

Application iled October 1l, 1921. Serial lo. 508,849.

To all whom it may qmwern.'

Be it known that I, PAUL DE Cammen, engineer, citizen of the Republic of Switzerland, residing at Bevaix, in the count of Neuchatel and State of Switzerland, ave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil Min' and Drainage Systems, of which the following is a specification.v

This invention relates to a system of recovery of crude petroleum that may be specially applied to the recovery of petroleum from oil bearing sands after extraction of that part of the oi, l which can be beneficially removed from bituminous sands by natural flow or direct pumping.

Long investigations have enabled me to determine that there remains a considerable quantity of crude oil in the petroleum bearing sands when the extraction by usual means ceases to give appreciable results. For instance, sands having been pumped dry still contain up to 20 per cent in volume of their original oil contents.

Moreover I aml in a position to explain why and how it happens that such important quantities of oil still adhere to the sands.' My invention enables me to apply commercially a new method of extraction whose description follows.

After an oil bearing stratum has been worked by drilled wells and pumping, until the extraction does not pay, there remains adherent to the sands not only large quantities of crude oil, but also a very important proportion of gas. rlfhe gas, however, having lost the greatest part of its pressure, can not drive the oil through the resistance opposed to its free outflow by the sands.

Moreover, and that is the most important point, the oil drops are surrounded by adhering small gas ubbles which so increase their volume as to prevent the oil from flowing through the sands by gravity.

The state of equilibrium established under these conditions is of such a nature that the oil containing medium ceases yielding by ordinary means. The layer wil only reassume its yieldings if this state of equilibrium can be destroyed` Different means have been proposed and tried to remove this part.

of the oil, but these methods gave only partial or unsatisfactory results.

I have succeeded 1n finding a method by which this state of equilibrium can be destro ed and which allows the gas to escape free y and completely securing, under these conditions, an outflow for the oil by its own weight, as soon as it is no more held back by gas bubbles that prevented the oils outflow through the pores of the bituminous sands.

My invention which may be termed an oil mining and draining system consists in extracting the residualoil from an oil sand by expelling its gas contents which produces the separation of the oil by gravity and natural drainage. For the better carrying out of the process I pro ose that this natural flow .or drainage sha1 occur at a number of points and that the accumulations at these points shall be conducted by natural or forced ow to a reservoir or reservoirs, whence the oil may be lifted as by pumping to the surface of the earth.

A further object of the invention is to accomplish the object referred to in an economical manner, and which does not involve any operations that are not already familiar in. the petroleum industry and in general mining practice.

' Other objects of the invention, more or less broad than those stated above, will be in part obvious and in part speciiically referred to, and in the course of the following description ofthe elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles constituting the invention; and the scope of protection contemplated will appear in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as apart of this specification, and in which I have shown more orless diagrammatically an arrangement of shafts, galleries, etc., which may be utilized in the practice of my method, Fig. 1 is a view as it would appear in plan of a system adapted for my process. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on aplane vertical to the earths surface and including the subject matter of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of 1, slightly enlarged, and Fig. 4 is an'enla'rged sectional view illustrating the relation between t-he shaft, the upper-level gallery and lower-level gallery, the connecting galleries being shown. in dotted lines.

"Referring to the numerals of the drawings, there is shown at 5, an ordinary shaft which will be sunk either through the bed or near It is even preferable in order to obtain complete expulsion of the gas and for the sake of security to sink at once two shafts connected by airing galleries.

To simplify the drawings, there has been los shown but one shaft; the second one, with its galleries being constructed similarly to the first. The description refers only to one part of the mine, the second connected to the first by airing galleries will be identical to the first.

At its lower end the shaft opens into a gallery or galleries 6, communicating with a main upper-level gallery 7, this upperlevel gallery 7 being connected at suitable intervals, by means of connecting galleries 8, with a lower-level main gallery 9. All of these galleries ma be suitably shored up, as indicated by ig. 4, and provision canv be made for the drainage into them through their walls of oil which may drain or exude from the surrounding sands. Thus there may be shields 10 on the side walls 'to direct the oil into suitably located gutters 11 along the bottom and at the sides of each gallery. Since these galleries, both main galleries and connecting galleries are all inclined, and the gutters partake of the inclinations of their respective galleries, the oil will naturally flow to the low point or points'of the system, two of such low points being indicated by the numeral 12. It will .be understood that the main galleries 7 and 9, besides being on different general levels, are divided into sections, each section terminating at one of the connecting galleries, and the connecting galleries inclining downwardly from the main gallery 7 thus towards main gallery 9. The oil flowing from the main gallery 7 thus finds its way' through the connecting galleries 8 into the lower main gallery 9 and -to the low points 12 of main gallery 9, where suitable reservoirs may be provided whence the oil may be pumped through suitable pipes 14 to the surface.

To obtain these differences of level, the workings should be established in the direction of the layers using the dip of the strata for the connecting alleries. lf the strata were not inclined ut of suinient thickness, 'the main gallery 7 she-nld be driven into the upper part of the layer and the main gallery 9 on a lower level.

It will be understood of course that the sand when removed in excavating the various galleries etc. must be taken to the surface as the excavations proceed, and that as the drainage and removal of oil goes on the galleries and the cross-connections thereof ma be extended as may be necessary or feasib e.

My method depends upon the principle of drainage of the oil and upon the principle of expulsion of the gases. hole does not allow the emulsion or mixture of gas and oil to separate but the mixture remains enclosed in the minute pores of the porous bed. A single drainage gallery dug bodily into the petroleum carrying bed A small boring would up to a certain point facilitate the flow of oil but this method is impracticable for two reasons: The gas which might escape would render such work impossibe and further the incomplete evacuation ofthe gas would leave the emulsion intact in the interior of the bed and the yield of oil would be very slight. If, however, two galleries were located at different levels and connected with each other by transverse galleries, they would set up a double circulation in the petroleum carrying bed, the gas would rise up into the upper gallery and the oil How into the lower gallery. Furthermore this arrangement alone' permits of Ventilating the mine. Owing to the powerful ventilators which must be provided in any mine where minerals, which are apt to liberate gas, are worked a powerful current of air will be produced in such net work of galleries. The v'object of this current is not alone to permit the workman to gain access to the galleries but also has for its effect to produce a suction of the gas lighter than itself and which is enclosed in the bed. This suction breaks up the emulsion or mixture formed by the two fluids. The as is really expelled and the oil will flow oli by gravit The movement thus produced will gradual y be communicated to the interior of the bed, the more so because the gas is still under a certain pressure at 'that point. To recapitulate, this process produces an effective expulsioni'of the gas by compelling it to move. This is a new application of previously known means, such as galleries at different levels, suction and expulsion of the gas by means of suitable ventilation and draining olf of the oil.

An important feature of my method is in the fact that the stratum from which the oil is to be recovered is pierced by a network of galleries at suiiiciently close intervals to insure at the same time the most effective drainage and ventilation; and of course the operation of the system depends fundamentally upon the proposition that the main galleries are on different general levels, that the main galleries consist of sections, adjacent sections inclining towards a common low point, and the low points of the upper main gallery being connected byl inclined connecting galleries with the low 'points of the lower main gallery.

It will be evident that many variations and modifications are possible in the construction and development of the system described, without departing from the spirit of the invention, but the essentials are set forth in the appended claims. It will be apparent also that the sectional character of the system lends itself to the requirements of ventilation, lire protection etc.

I have not described how the system will be ventilated or guarded against lire. Any

recaen@ usual or preferred means or methods may he employed for the safety and convenience or' the persons employed in the worin, and the excavations and other iahor may he assisted by machinery as desired. @if course the greatest precautions must he taken against lire or explosions in the case ci this system, because of the readily inanin mable character of the petroleum.

i claim:

l. rihe method of recovering the residual oil contents of sands which no longer give up quantities of oil great enough to he worked advantageously by natural Elow or direct pumping, which consists in expelling completely the gas and in draining the oii oy driving drainage and Ventilating galleries in the sand stratum on different general levels, with inclined connecting gaileries between them, each upper level drainage gallery comprising an inclined section opening at its low point into a connecting gallery.

@The method of recovering the residual oil contents of sands by expulsion of its gas contents which consists in providing a main upper drainage and Ventilating gallery, a main lower drainage gallery, connecting gaieries between the two main galleries and inclining from the one towards the other, and reservoirs supplied from the lower main drainage gallery, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A. method of gas expulsion and oil drainage of the character set forth including the provision of an upper drainage gallery which comprises relatively inclined sections, inclined connecting galleries opening out of the sections of the upper mam gallery at low points thereof, and a lower main gallery also composed of relatively inclined sections whose low points are in communication with the low points of the connecting galleries.

4. The method of recovering the residual oil contents of sands which no longer give up oil enough by natural flow or direct pumping, which consists in liberating the gas from. the oil hearing sand and in drainn ing the in situ into inclined drainage and ventilating channels piercing the sand.

The method oi recovering the residual oii contents or sands which no longer give up oii enough hy natural flow or direct pumping, which consists in liberating the gas 'from the cil hearing sand, draining the sand and taking the oil from the drainage channels into reservoirs located 'below the low points oit' the drainage channels.

ti. The method of recovering the residual oil contents of sands which no ionger give up oil enough hy natural flow or direct pumping, which consists in liberating the gas from the oil hearing sand and in draining the sand in situ.

T. rihe method or? recovering the residual oil contents of sands which no longer give up quantities ci oil great enough 'to loe worked advantageously hy natural dow or direct pumping, which consists in expelling completely the gas and in drainin the oil by driving drainage and ventilating galieries in the sand stratum on dierent general levels.

8. The method oit recovering the residual oil contents of sands by expulsion of its gas contents which consists in roviding a main upper drainage and venti ating gallery, a main lower drainage gallery, connecting galleries hetween the two main galleries, and reservoirs supplied from the lower main drainage gallery, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. The method of recovering the residual oil contents of sands by expulsion of its gas contents which consists in providing a main upper drainage and Ventilating gallery, a main lower drainage gallery and connecting galleries between the two main galleries.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PAUL DE CHAMBRIER. Witnesses:

EDGAR FALLER,

CHARLES JEANNES. 

